Nightmare Sheep
by Tauna Petit-Strawn
Summary: A silly one shot brought on by a challenge on another site.


Nick growled and hissed as he stomped up the steps. He'd never dreamed he'd spend more than two hours-felt like more three-chasing a few head of sheep. Sheep! It still boiled his blood to think of how he'd won what he thought was cattle only to have that…that sheepherder show up with those mangy sheep! So much for Barkley luck!

Stomping into the bathroom, Nick threw his black leather gloves down up on the shelf that hung above the sink, removed his black leather vest and than sat down to remove his boots. He was going to take a long hot bath and get the smell of those dirty animals off him. Before long Nick was lying in the bathtub, eyes closed and relaxing.

"NICK!" His mother's voice sent a jolt through Nick and he sat straight up. What on earth did his mother want? When she called his name again, more urgently, Nick hurried out of the tub to get his clothes only to get the shock of his life. In place of his black clothes, there was a pair of white pants and shirts in their place…and they were made of wool! It had to be Heath, but how had he got into the bathroom, taken Nick's black clothes and put these…these things in their place?

When his mother called his name again, Nick cursed and then yelled through the door that someone had taken his clothes and left rags in their place. Of course, his mother didn't believe him and only hollered to hurry and 'get down here!'. Grumbling and vowing to get even with Heath-whom he was convince had made the switch-Nick threw on the clothes and hurried to see what had his mother up in arms only to have shock waves go through him as he opened the bathroom door. BAHHH BAHHHH could be heard throughout the house. SHEEP! What on earth were the sheep doing in the house! Nick ran down hallway and started to descend the steps only to freeze and stare in disbelief.

There were just a few sheep running lose in the house, thee had to be every single one of the sheep had brought to the ranch just that morning and….a couple of them who looked as if they'd been shorn were actually wearing what appeared to be black leathered 'coats'. "WHAT…." Nick started bellowing only to have Audra poke her head around the corner of the entrance way to the foyer.

"Well, if you hadn't paid Ciego to shear them too early, just so you could get that new outfit, I wouldn't have had to take your leather clothing and turn them into coats for those poor lambs."

"WHAT! I DIDN'T PAY CIEGO ANY MONEY TO DO ANYTHING!" Nick bellowed as he stopped one of the lambs from going up the stairs. "AND I DEFINITELY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH, WITH THESE RAGS!" Nick growled as he did what he could to get the mangy sheep out the front door. "HEATH JUST HAD TO HAVE HAD A HAND IN THIS." Then, remembering it was his mother who had called for him in the first place, he demanded to know where Victoria was.

"In the study, she was chasing one of the lambs I was trying to put a leather coat on." Audra, who said she didn't believe Heath had anything to do with the sheering of the sheep or Nick's "rags", answered.

"DON'T TOUCH ANYMORE OF MY LEATHER!" Nick snapped at Audra before he disappeared down the hallway.

"I think the leathered one is somewhat annoyed." Audra smiled as she slipped another one of her creations onto a nearby lamb.

) ) )

"WHAT!" Nick opened the door to the study out another holler as he stared at what he saw. Jarrod was trying to get more than one lamb off his desk while his mother-who was dressed in a wooly dress-was screaming and asking him what had possed him to give her leather outfit to Audra to make 'cute outfits' for his pet sheep…and there WERE sheep wandering around he room in leather outfits.

"I expect you to not only get rid of the sheep and do it now!" Victoria screamed as a lamb jumped into her arms.

"And stop giving every piece of leather to Audra to make these, these sheep leather clothing!" Jarrod yelled as he pushed yet another lamb off his desk.

"I DIDN'T DO IT! I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!" Nick began screaming eve louder as the sheep started jumping at him…and doing it quite fast. He kept shouting he didn't do anything as he fell to the ground.

"NICK! NICK!"

Nick jerked and his arms were flying up, down and off to his sides as he found himself sitting straight up and opening his eyes; Heath was pounding on the door asking if he was all right.

Nick looked around the bathroom…water had spilled over the bathtub was running everywhere. Nick took a deep breath and hollered back he was fine…he wasn't about to admit to falling asleep in the bathtub. Besides that, he knew he had to get rid of those, stupid mangy sheep!


End file.
